Improvement in plugs for blasting rocks



BUGKLEY 8L MOSHER.

Plug for Blasting.

Patented May 17, 1859.

l//Zanesses.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

JO. l). IUCKLEY ANL) S. F. MOSHER, OF SlfllLXGHTICOKE, EW' Ytillli.

IMPROVEMENT IN PLUGS FOR BLASTING ROCKS.

Speeitiratiou tlnming l'al't of Letters Patent No. 21,006, dated Maj; l?, lffit.

To all whom it* may concern..-

Be it known that we, JonN l). BUCHLEY and SAMUEL F. Moslima, of Schaghtieoke, in the county ot' Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented an Improved Plug for Blasting, the construction and operation of which we hare described in the following,` specification and illnstratedin its accompanying drawings with sutlieient elearness to enable competent and skillful workmen in the arts to whieh it pertains or is most nearly allied to make and use our invention. Y

Our plug for blasting is designed to take the place ot' the sand which is usuallyv taniped or rannned in above the powder et' the blast. This plug consists o1' the combination ot' a tapered screw with a plug, a part oi' which is divided and made capable ot' expansion, said plug being so eonstrneted as to be capable, when forced ont against the rock, 0i" ta'iking a sntlieicnt hold upon it', as hereiin'it'ter more fully set forth.

Our invention is represented in thc acceuipanving drawings, as follows:

Figure l. is a side elevation of onrimproved blasting-plugliig. L is a sectional elevation, showing it in position. Fig. i is a plan.

A is the rock in which the plug is supposed to be set. The hole to be charged with the blast is drilled in the saine way when this plug is to be used as when the ordinary sandplng is to be tamped in over the charge and the powder is put in as usual.

In the construction ot' the plug` which we have devised, and which we use to restrain the upward force oi' the powder, we iirst 'make the piece 13 in a nearly eylindric form, as shown, but having ledges l) b to penetrate the rock, so as to secure the plug in position. This portion 1li may be made ot' steel, hardeued copper, or any other suitable metal. Steel would, however, probably be, in most eases, preicrred. This part ll has a central hole drilled into it from the top nearlyY down to the lower end, or as far down as maybe necessary for the purpose. This hole is tapered at the upper end, and has a screwthread eut in it to receive the screw C. A hole is also drilled down through the side portion ofthe part B, whieh hole is inst sui iieiently large to receive the fuse l) to ignite the powder. After this done, the upper part of the piece l is divided into t'our sec tions, or more or less, as may be found convenient in practice, by sawing slits d in it, as shown, by which it is made capable of being expanded by means of the tapered screw (l, so as to force the flanges or proiections b Ii into the rock, and thus give the ping ahold upon said rock,to enable it to resist the action ofthe blast, which would, of course,'

otherwise force it ont ot' position. A piece 0f india-rubber pipe, e, is slipped upon the lower end of the part B, to give a lnore per feetly-tight joint,to prevent the escape of the powder, or, rather, of its resultant gases, between the plug and the rock. The end next the powder ot' the part ll is tapered ofi', as shown, sothat it will slightl)r enter theehargc.

F is a hand-wheel, to facilitate the turning of the screw U.

The operation is as follows: The hole h aw ing` been drilled in the usual manner to re eeive the plug, the powder is first introduced, the fuse D is then put into the plug, and adjusted, the plug is introduced and plaeed down upon the powder, and the screwC,bei1ig turned, forces the ledges or ilanges b b into the roel; suflieiently to support the plug against the action ot' the blast, when the fuse mayv be tired and the blast exploded. It is obvious that it' the ledges I) b are properly forced into the rock the plug` cannot be blown out of position till the rock gives away, and when it does there is plentyr otl room for the gases to escape without torcing away the plug. For this reason it is found in practice that this plug is seldom blown far away from its position, though at [irst glance it might perhaps seem that it would be sent tlbving through the air a great distance.

The advantages otVK this plug are obvious, especially in plugging horizontal blasts,where it is diiiicnlt to introduce the sand for tamping. An overhead blast might even be managed by using this plug.

It is well known to miners and quarrvmen that the labor of plugging the blast by the old proeess of ramping in sand around the fuse is very considerable, and that blasts are often lost bysoine imperfection in the operation, or by the danipness ot' the sand employed for the purpose. These diiiionlties are obviatied by ourinvention. The plug may be inserted in amornent, and il the t'use is good the conneetion is sure.

The particular improvement which eonstprovided with im npel'lure for the fuse, as Set tutes our said invention, and which We claln forth. a; having been originally and first invented u JOHN D. BUCKLEY. by as, is-

F. Muslimen. Thecombinaton 0f the tapered screw with l \\'ilnesses: the expanding metallic plug having ledges or Jeux* (RUMLY, other equivalents to penetrate the Peek, nml l ll. A. Rlmpm'ls. 

